Danske Bank Irish News Shield final
St Aidan’s Derrylin 4-14 St Ciarán’s Ballygawley 0-5
THIS school season just keeps giving for St Aidan’s, Derrylin.
Over the last half century the small rural Fermanagh school hadn’t won a provincial schools’ title, but on Tuesday afternoon in Augher a second half hat-trick of goals from Ruairí McManus sealed the Dankse Bank Irish News Shield, their third Ulster title since January in a never-to-be-forgotten season.
In the end it was a very comprehensive victory for St Aidan’s over St Ciaran’s, Ballygawley, but that looked far from likely at half-time when the teams were tied on 0-4 each, with only Derrylin’s Shay McManus on target twice.
From the second-half throw in, Ryan Melanphy pointed and Ethan Brown quickly added two more points. Then, in the fourth minute, Ruairí McManus slotted home the first goal after a one-two with Brown and really from then on there was no way back for the south Tyrone side with Derrylin attacking in waves.
Shay McManus hit the Ballygawley net in the 47th minute and straight from the kick-out Ruairí McManus buried his second goal.
Within a few minutes McManus had completed his hat-trick with his side by now in almost complete control although goalie Shea Rasdale still had to pull off a couple of good saves.
What a contrast between the two halves, with those early scores giving St Aidan’s an injection of confidence that St Ciarán’s couldn’t handle despite the best efforts of Sean Winters and Ethan McCarron.
Scorers
St Aidan’s R McManus 3-1, S McManus 1-4, E Brown 0-4, C Hogg, R Melanphy, J Melanphy-Watson, J Smyth and S Turczyn 0-1 eac
St Ciarán’s J Connolly, S Winters, M Traynor, C McGroarty and E McCarron 0-1 each.